Electrical connector



Aug. 7, 1923. L4644$8 H. A. mousLAs I ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 15, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 7, 1923. 31,464,468

H. A. DOUGLAS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 13 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1923. v

lell lllflgfi HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 01? BEUNSON, IvIIOHIGAN.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

Application filed March 13, 1919. Serial No. 282,452.

T 0 all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that 1, Henry A. DGUGLAS, citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have ini ented a certain'new and useful Improvement in Electrical Connectors, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices and has for its general object the provision of a device that serves to include an incandescent lamp or other translating means in circuit with a grounded source of current. The device of my in vention desirably includes switching means for bringing the lamp or translating means in and out of circuit.

The invention includes, as a further characteristic, the provision of interengag ing formations that serve to limit a coupling shell and a circuit continuing member to one mechanical relation whereby two con tacts upon the circuit continuing member may each be individual to another contact within the shell to avoid short circuiting when the shell has a grounded metallic mounting. I

The invention is of particular utility in conjunction with automobile lighting circuits, it enabling the employment of standard double pole plugs with single pole incandescent lamps.

I' will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a single pole in-v candescent lamp brought into circuit by the electrical connectorof my invention Fig. 2

shows the connector of Fig. 1 adjusted to the lan'ip. how- I open the circuit of the lamp, ever, being omitted to reveal more clearly some of the construction; Fig. 3 is a sec tional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;,Fig. 4 is a perspective view .showing some of the parts of Figs. 1 and 2 in separated relation; Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the circuit established by means of the connector of the invention; Fig.6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing, however, entering position of plug; Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a circuit established by means of the connector of my invention that is in another association in this figure; Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. 7 showing, however, entering position of plug.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The metallic: cylindrical shell 1 is supported in a holder 2 either to have electrical contact therewith as shown in Fig. 7

or to be insulated therefrom by means of a ring of insulation 3 interposed between the holder 2 and the shell. One of the circuit continuing portions which is adapted to be included in circuit by means of the connector is shown in the form of a single pole incandescent lamp 4 having a contact 5 upon the inner end of its base and connected with one terminal of the filament 6 and a contact 7 upon a side of its base having electrical engagement with the shell 1 and being desirably in the form of a sheath surrounding the lamp base. The end of the shell that receives the lamp base is provided with bayonet slots 8 adapted to receive bayonet pins 9 projecting from the side of the lamp base. The other end of the shell is adapted to receive a plug 10 that constitutes a circuit continuing member and which. like the base of the lamp, is a contact carrier, although the contacts 11 and 12 upon the plug have the axis of the shell disposed therebetween while the contact 5 upon the lamp base is upon or at this axis.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, one of these contacts (11) is adapted to -receive a conductor 13 extending to one pole of the battery 14, the other contact (12) being adapted to receive a conductor 15 that is grounded as to the frame or chassis of the automobile to which the other terminal of the battery or other source, of current is also grounded. The end of the shell that re ceives the plug 10 is provided with bayonet slots 16 each having two seats 17 and 18 (constituting); coupling formations) that are.

separated longitudinally of the shell whereby the bayonet pins 19 (also constituting coupling formations) may be interengaged with the shell at different places longitudinally thereof for the purpose of holding the plug 10 in assembly with the shell while the plug is either in an inner or outer position while assembled with the shell, the arrangement being such that when the plug is in its innermost position it will be included in circuit with the lamp and when it is. in its outermost position it will be excluded from such circuit. 1

A- contact carrier is disposed within the flan e 27 on this sarine barrel bein interposed between the parts 26 and 20. The portion 26 is in the form of a ring through which the spring barrel rearwardly extends. The axis of theshell is between the spring barrels 22 and 25 and is coincident with the axis or the spring barrel 28. A coiled spring 28' in the spring barrel 22 presses contact 29 rearwardly, this contact projecting through the rear end of said spring barrel. A coiled springBO in the spring barrel 25 presses the contact 31 rearwardly, this contact projecti'ng through the spring barrel '25. A

-coiledyspring32 in the spring barrel 23 presses the contact 33 forwardly, this contact projecting through the spring barrel 23. The inner ends of the contacts 29, 31 and 33 are enlarged to limit the extent to which they may be projected from the spring barrels that enclose them. The inner, enlargement of the contact 29 is nearer the rear contact end 01" this contact than the inner enlargenient of the contact 31 is to the end of ."ljlllS contact so that when the springs 28 and 30 are free to act to their fullest extent, the contact 29 cannot be projected rearwardly as far as can the: contact 31. When the plug 10 has its bayonet pins 19 in 'theirforward seats 17 both contacts 11 and 12 respectively engage the'contacts 29 and 31. The lamp 1 being in place and the forward contact 5 beirigcO-axial with the shell 1, said lamp is nowincluded in a circuit which contains the conductor l3,tl1e contact 11, the contact 29, theclectrically connected and integrally formed spring barrels 22 and 23, the forward contact 33, the contact 5 upon the rear end of the base of the lamp 4, thefilament 6 of the lamp, the contact sheath 7 of the lamp base, the metallic shell 1, the ring like ear extension 26, the spring barrel" 25 engaging this extension, the contact 31, the

contact12 and the conductor 15. When it is desired to exclude the-lamp from circuit the plug 10 is pressed slightly forward and is turned sufiiciently to bring the'bayonet pins 19. into alignment with the seats 18, whereafter the springs 28' and 30 are per 'mitted to press the plug rearwardly. Be-

fore the bayonet pins 19 reach their seats 18, the inner enlargement upon the contact 29 engages the corresponding spring barrel 22 so .thatthe spring 28 is prevented from following the contact 11 during the balance of the rearward movement of the plug 10. The spring 30, however, has no such limitation imposed upon it and therefore maintains the contact31 in engagement with the contact 12 during the entire rearward movement of the plug 10 and'al'ter the engagement of the contact pins 19 with their seats 18. The spring 30 thus holds the plug 10 in its rearmost position in which the contacts 29 and 11 are separated thereby to open the circuit of the lamp, the spring 30 maintaining the parts in this relation until it is desired to again include the lamp in circuit, whereupon the movement of the plug 10 previously described is reversed to bring about the relation shown in Fig. 1. The open circuit position ofthe plug is shown in Fig. 2, the presence or absence of the lamp desirably having no effect upon the contacts 29 and 31.

The holder 2 that supports the shell 1 may enclose the incandescent lamp. This holder is mounted upon the metallic frame 34 of the automobile by means of a metallic strut 35. If desired, the metallic shell 1 may be insulated from the of the ring of insulation 3.

In Fig. 7 the shell l is shown in direct electrical connection with its holder 2 and in this figure the bayonet pins 19 are on convergent radii so that the plug 10 can only holder 2 by means be inserted in the shell 1 when said plug occupies a single definite position with respect to the shell in the initiation of the engagement of the plug and shell whereby i the circuit connections illustrated in Fig. 7

are assured whenever'the plug 10 isfully inserted. The arrangementof Fig. 7 prevents the short circuiting of'the' battery by but having thus described my invention'I- claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following i 1. A connector including a metallic shell having a transverse supporting member disposed therein, a pair of axiallydisalined mutually connected and oppositely disposed contacts supported by said member and insulated from the shell, and a third contact,

clamped between said supporting member preventing the wrong insertion of the plug.

and a portion of the shell, said third contact being electrically connected with the shell. 2. A connector including a metallic shell having a pair of axially disaline'd' mutually connected andoppositely disposed contacts arranged therein-and insulated from the shell, a pair of disks bearing respectively against the inner ends of the contacts to pos- Lil itively position them within the shell, and a third contact electrically connected with the shell and held between one of said disks and a portion of the shell.

3. A connector including a metallic shell having a'pair of axially disalined mutually connected and oppositely disposed contacts insulated from the shell, a pair of disks arranged transversely within the shell and clamping a portion of said mutually con nected contacts between them whereby said contacts are definitely positioned with re spect to the shell, and a third contact electrically connected with the shell and having a portion thereof clamped between one of the disks and an inturned portion of the shell.

AL. A connector including a metallic shell having a pair of axially disalined mutually &

connected and oppositely disposed contacts arranged therein, a flange common to both of said contacts, a pair of disks fixed within the shell and each having an opening through which the contacts respectively extend, said flange being clamped between said disks whereby the contacts are definitely positioned with respect to the shell, a portion of the shell being inturned and formed into the shape of a ring and a third contact including a flange, said third contact extending through said ring and having its flange clamped between said ring and one of said disks.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26 day 01": February, A. D.

HARRY A. DQUGLAS. 

